Bob-sled.



B. W. WHITNEY. BOB SLED.

APPLICATION FILED SEP'I:.12, 1910.

1,026,014. Patented May 14, 1912 "10 2a '1- 5 v ,9 h I, 9 Iii-i- Q '16 o 9 6 75' Q Q70 23 72 5 76 O a? V 75 V wuw ioz wi/mmw J 414. 1% M COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON D C BEN W. WHITNEY, OF DALE, NORTH DAKOTA.

BOB-SLED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Application filed September 12, 1910. Serial No. 581,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, BEN W. WHITNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dale, in the county of Emmons and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bob-Sleds, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawmgs.

This invention relates to improvements in bob-sleds and has for its object to provide a simple and eflicient means whereby the runners of the sled may be relatively adjusted to increase or decrease the width between the same, thus providing a proper support for the body of the sled to prevent the same upsetting under a heavy load.

Another object is to provide means connecting the front ends of the runners to the supporting bolster, said means being adjustably secured to the bolster and to a connecting bar arranged between the ends of the runners,

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a very simple and durable device which may be quickly adjusted to increase or decrease the space between the runners, and rigidly connect the runners in their adjusted position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front ends of the runners showing the means for adj ustably connecting the same, and the connection of said connecting means to the supporting bolster; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec tion; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. at is a detail per-- spective view of one of the adjustable rods connecting the runners.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 5 indicates the sled runners which are of the ordinary form, and 6 the knees which are vertically positioned upon said runners and secured there-to and disposed beneath the ends of a supporting bolster 7. The means connecting the sled knees and the bolster and runners is substantially the same as that disclosed in the Patent #619,483 granted to Joseph B. Paine February 14, 1899, with the exception that in the present instance the elongated staple shown and described in said patent is not employed in the present case, the rods 8 be ing substituted therefor. Eye bolts 9 extend through the ends of the bolster, the eyes thereof receiving the ends of said rods. Upon one end of the rod 8 a head is formed and a collar 10 is longitudinally movable on the other end thereof and is adapted to be secured in its adjusted position by means of a set screw 10 whereby said rod may be easily removed when desired. This rod is adapted to rock upon the upper end of the knee 6 and may be mounted thereon in any desired manner.

Between the forward ends of the runners 5 a bar 11 is disposed. This bar is preferably cylindrical in form and has a metallic ferrule 12 secured on each end thereof. To the center of the bar the tongue 11 is secured in any approved manner. Rods 13 are movable through extensions 12 formed on the ferrule 12 and extend through the runners 5. Nuts 14; are threaded on the ends of the rods and collars 15 are longitudinally movable thereon. These collars are adapted to be engaged upon the inner faces of the runners and secured in position by means of theset screws 15, the nuts 14: being threaded inwardly on the rods to engage the outer faces of the runners. The inner opposed ends of. the rods 13 are flattened, as shown at 13, and provided with a plurality of openings 16. Through any one of these openings an eye bolt 17 is adapted to extend, said bolts extending through the bar 11 and having their eyes disposed in the rear thereof. A connecting rod 18 extends through these eyes and a collar 19 is adjustable on one end thereof and may be secured in its adjusted position by means of the set screw 19. Nuts20 are threaded upon the forward ends of the eye bolts 17 to rigidly secure the inner ends of the rods 13 to the bar 11 and also prevent their longitudinal movement. A'connecting bar 21 extends between the bar' 11 and the bolster 7 and at each end is bifurcated, as at 22. These bifurcated ends of the connecting bar are formed with eyes to receive the connecting rod 18 and a similar connecting rod 18 which extends through the eyes of the eye bolts 17 and 17 respectively. The bolster is formed with a plurality of vertical openings 23 which are equally spaced apart upon opposite sides of the center thereof.

In adjusting the runners the rods 13 are first moved along the front of the bar 11 and the bolts 17 disposed through the proper openings 16 in the inner ends of said bars. The eye bolts 9 are then arranged in the vertical openings 23 in the bolster 7 and the rods 8 extended through said eye bolts and the upper ends of the knees 6 and the brace bars which are carried thereby. The collars 10 are then adjusted upon the rods 8 to prevent longitudinal movement of the knees beneath the bolster. In this manner a wide range of adjustment of the runners is obtained. It will be understood that any desired number of the openings 28 in the bolster and the openings 16 in the inner ends of the rods 13 may be provided.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by the arrangement of elements above set forth, the runners may be quickly shifted transversely beneath the body of the sled to increase or decrease the space between the same. Thus any desired width of track may be obtained. This adjustability of the runners is of great advantage when the sled is heavily loaded and prevents the same from turning over or upsetting when rounding a curve or in the event that the load is not evenly distributed in the body. The vari ous parts are of common form and may be purchased at a minimum cost. The device is extremely strong and durable and highly eflicientin practical operation.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the same is susceptible of many modifications without departing from the essential features or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

' Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination with the bolsters, knees and runners of a bob-sled, of an adjustable connection between the front ends of said runners, eye bolts vertically disposed through the bolster, said bolster having a 1 secured to the knees and extending inwardly F therefrom, said rods being disposed through the upper ends of the braces, adjustable collars on said rods adapted to be secured thereon against the ends of the braces to rigidly secure the runners to the bolster and prevent their transverse movement with relation to said bolster, and a connecting member between said bolster and the adjustable connecting means at the front ends of the runners.

2. The combination with the bolster, knees and runners of a bob-sled, of means for adjusting the runners beneath the ends of the bolster, a transverse bar disposed between the forward ends of the runners, rods extending through the runners inwardly upon the bar, guides on the ends of the bar for said rods, means for rigidly securing the rods in the runners, the inner opposed ends of said rods being flattened and provided with a plurality of openings, eye bolts extending through the bar, the inner ends of said rods being adjustable upon said eye bolts, nuts threaded on the ends of the bolts for securing the rods thereto, a rod disposed through the eyes of said bolts and connecting the same, eye bolts extending through the bolster, a rod connecting said eye bolts, a bar bifurcated at its ends disposed upon said connecting rods and connecting the bar and the bolster, and collars longitudinally adjust-able upon said connecting rods.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BEN W. VHITNEY.

Witnesses J. L. CHAMBERLAIN, C. D. CRAMPTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

